The Ministry of the Interior has eased restrictions on motorbike riding in Bawku, allowing both men and women to ride between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., while the 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew remains in force.
The new arrangement takes effect on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, following an assessment of the security situation in the Bawku Municipality and its surrounding areas.
The Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, announced the decision during a press briefing in Accra on Monday, August 24, 2026.
He said the easing of the restrictions formed part of efforts by the Ministry of the Interior to gradually restore normal life in Bawku as the security situation improves.
“Our wish is to make sure that we are almost a country without a single community being restricted,” Mr Muntaka said.
He said the curfew situation in the affected areas had improved considerably, pointing to the changes in Bawku.
“Bawku in particular, the curfew is from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. It tells you that the situation has improved,” he said.
Motorbike restrictions
In July, the Ministry of the Interior eased the restriction for women, allowing them to ride motorbikes between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., while the ban on men remained in force.
Mr Muntaka said the Ministry had now extended the same daytime concession to men.
“Just this morning, we’ve eased the restriction on every other person also from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. to make sure that life returned to normalcy,” he said.
Curfew remains
Despite the easing of the motorbike restriction, the Ministry of the Interior’s directive does not lift the Bawku curfew.
The latest directive maintains the curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.
It also retains the total ban on carrying arms, ammunition or offensive weapons within Bawku and its environs.
Bawku has undergone several changes to its restrictions as the Ministry of the Interior has responded to developments in the security situation.
In July 2025, the Ministry reviewed the Bawku curfew from 2 p.m. to 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.
The curfew was subsequently adjusted to 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. in August 2025.
By March 2026, the Ministry had settled the curfew hours at 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., although restrictions on motorbike riding and the carrying of arms and ammunition remained in place.
The latest directive therefore represents another easing of the restrictions rather than a lifting of the curfew.
The Minister said the objective was to return affected communities to normal life.
He said similar efforts were being pursued in other areas where curfews remained in place, including Sampa and Nkwanta.
According to him, the National Peace Council had been engaging stakeholders in Bawku, with support from the Japanese government, while peace-building processes were also underway in Sampa and Nkwanta.
“We hope that the chiefs and the elders on both sides will continue to cooperate with government and the security agencies so that we bring lasting peace to this area,” he said.
The latest Bawku directive calls on chiefs, elders, opinion leaders, the youth and residents to exercise restraint and use non-violent means to resolve their differences.
